Out And AboutTuesday our Prior, Fr. Isaac, will drive to our sisters monastery, Mount Saint Mary’s Abbey in Wrentham, MA to represent us at the funeral of their former Abbess, Mother Agnes Day, who died a few days ago after over 60 years in monastic life. She was Abbess of the community for 22 years. He will return Wednesday. May the Lord grant her the fullness of eternal life!

Then on Saturday Abbot Gerard and Fr. Stephen will travel to Holy Spirit Abbey in Conyers, GA to participate in the OCSO Regional Meeting. One of the purposes of the meeting is to prepare for the Order’s General Chapter coming up this September. As moderator of the meeting Abbot Gerard will be quite busy. They are scheduled to return Wednesday, June 21st.

Preview Of Coming DistractionsThe main item on tomorrow’s meeting of the Abbot’s Council will be to consider major changes in our daily schedule. During the recent visitation Dom Elias, the visitator, pointed out to us some flaws in our current schedule. Actually we have been discussing the schedule for several years now and all we needed was some ‘gentle’ encouragement from the visitator to finally do something about it.

We were reminded that as a cloistered contemplative community we are mandated by the Church to maintain the integrity of the Liturgy of the Hours regarding the times for the various Offices. It was pointed out to us that our Vespers and Compline were being celebrated too early in the day while Vigils could be celebrated a bit later in keeping with its character as a night office so that the schedule could be moved ahead an hour or so.

Most likely the Council will approve an updated schedule and propose a period of several months of experimentation so that we can have a good experience of the changes, make any adjustments that are deemed necessary and then vote whether or not to continue the experiment. Stay tuned for developments.

Lectio Notebook

How do you know whether you have received the Holy Spirit? Question your heart. If you love your brother and sister, the Spirit of God abides in you. Examine yourself before the eyes of God; see if there is in you a love of unity of peace, and a love for the church spread throughout the whole world.

Take care not to love only the person in front of you: we do not see many sisters and brothers, but we are united to them in the unity of Spirit. What cause is there to marvel that they are not with us? We are in one body; we have one head in heaven.

So, if you want to know if you have received the Holy Spirit, ask your heart: if fraternal charity is there, you can rest easy, for there can be no love without the Holy Spirit. As St. Paul says, the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us. (Romans 5:5)

Easter Meditations From the Vita Christi
Ludolph of Saxony
Quoted in “Your Hearts Will Rejoice”